NEW ORLEANS — The University of Georgia, whose football team is playing in the Sugar Bowl, issued statements on Wednesday morning regarding an incident that occurred on Tuesday night.
According to an Associated Press report, a vehicle raced into a crowd of New Orleans revelers early on New Year’s Day, killing 10 people and injuring 35 others in what the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism.
The driver of the vehicle was killed in a firefight with police following the attack around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday along Bourbon Street in the city’s bustling French Quarter, the FBI said.
After the vehicle came to a stop, the driver emerged from the truck and open fire on responding officers, New Orleans police said. Officers returned fire, striking and killing the driver, police said.
Two officers were shot and are in stable condition, police said. They were among 35 people injured.
At a news conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the killings as a “terrorist attack” and the city’s police chief said the act was clearly intentional.
“We are horrified and saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day in New Orleans,” UGA posted on X. “University personnel are working to determine if any UGA students, faculty, staff, alumni, or fans were among the victims. We offer our deepest condolences to all the victims and their families, and we stand in solidarity with the New Orleans community.”
UGA also advised fans to to follow New Orleans’ authorities’ advisement to shelter in place in the areas of Canal Street, Bourbon Street and St. Ann Street areas until further advised.
New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
“It was very intentional behavior. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” Kirkpatrick said.
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